


Tears of Yesterday

by karlamartinova



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 14:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karlamartinova/pseuds/karlamartinova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Already three years didn't Kate Freelander set her foot in Sanctuary, it was three years after the almost-war and another one was waiting on their doorstep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tears of Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MatildaSwan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatildaSwan/gifts).



The driver found another bump on the road and Kate’s head hits the window hard. She wasn’t sleeping anyway, too many thoughts and memories. Too many things changed and she didn’t know what will await her in a house she used to call home.

Todd turns briefly and sends her a reassuring smile. “I’m sorry, I am not yet familiar with this road, we are using it just this week. They blew the last one just a month ago,” he says and Kate nods. She knows about this, she knew those people who died there. It were her people, people from the community she and Garris set in the tunnels of Hollow Earth. They went to find their loved ones that were still lost on the surface.

It was almost three years after they successfully avoided the war. It was almost three years since Kate set her foot in Old City Sanctuary. It was almost three years and now a new war was on their doorstep.

“It´s fine, I understand. How far to the airport?” she asks and looks out of the window but there is nothing to see, only dark. Daylight transports were dangerous, not only the government kept tracking and destroying them but abnormals handlers as well. The world changed a lot and Kate did too. She can’t even remember having a hot bath, fondly remembers the times snuggled on the couch with Biggie watching X Factor and yelling at the screen. There was always popcorn, sometimes Henry and Will joined them, Magnus had only visited with an amused smile on her lips.

From the corner of her eyes she could see that the driver was speaking and she leans over the seat to hear what he is trying to say.

“Twenty minutes, you could get more sleep, I will try to be more careful,” he grins at her and she briefly gets to see his long saurian tongue. For some reason it makes her feel better and then she remembers long nights with Garris. He had told her about all Hollow Earth inhabitants, he was a doctor and knew all of the species by name.

“Todd has perfect sense of danger, that’s the reason he survived this long,” he told her when they were standing at the gates to Hollow Earth. It was their goodbye and when Kate leaned and kissed him on the cheek, it felt like it.

Kate hopes she will see him once again.

The driver wakes her up when they arrive and she follows him with half-closed lids and drops her backpack on the floor of small plane that transported abnormals for years now.

“Good evening, we will be flying in few minutes,” the pilot smiles at her across the length of the plane and she smiles back. She knows him, knows all of these people that keep risking their lives to help abnormals, to help Magnus.

“Great, I’ll just say goodbye to him,” Kate says motioning toward the door. He nods and she steps briefly of the plane. Todd is saying something to his radio. She calls his name and he looks up, waves at her. Kate holds up her hand but as she looks at him, she watches his face changing. He looks suspicious, scared and starts yelling at her.

“Go inside, say the pilot to fly away, now,” he yells and Kate turns inside, calls for the pilot. She more feels than sees the explosion and the pressure wave pushes her to the floor. The plane roars angrily and stars to move.

When she is finally able to stand, she sees only flames.

.

The city looks different to her but she spent last three years buried underground, she didn’t see any glamorous billboards, lights that make her eyes hurt. Kate missed it, missed the excitement of city and somewhere deep down, she hates Helen Magnus for sending her down there but a part of her is thankful too.

Nobody pays her any attention as she walks slowly across the street, only when it’s apparent that reaching the Sanctuary is her goal heads start turning toward her. Someone yells at her to go away, someone calls her a freak but Kate ignores them, prepares herself for anything she could find there.

The communication with Old City was dead for three weeks now; it was probably to keep the entrance to the Hollow Earth safe but it didn’t help her to feel better, her family was in danger and Kate just needed to know what is happening there.

Despite Garris’s protest she arranged her transport, she had earned trust of many abnormals and many were willing to help but she wanted to go on her own, she didn’t want to endanger anyone’s else’s life.

There is a guard at the gate, obviously a hologram but Kate suspects it’s only to scare away rubbernecks. “State your name and your business with Sanctuary,” the holographic guard speaks suddenly and Kate takes a step backwards. The tech did improve a bit.

“Kate Freelander, I am here to see Helen Magnus,” she says and takes out her ID for him to scan it.

It takes only seconds and something clings, the gate starts to open slowly. “You may enter now,” he says and she doesn’t waste any time. She runs, she is home, finally.

In yard, she looks up in the sky, it’s darker than outside. The EM shield is up and it looks stronger, stronger than any time before. Kate’s pulse quickens up, she heard stories, stories about killed abnormals, about hate and she still isn’t sure if she is ready to hear all of it but she is here. She made the choice already.

She knocks.

.

The girl who opens the door introduces herself as Laura but Kate isn’t paying attention. When she left the Sanctuary the hall was a place for a warm welcome, the lights were seeping through big glass windows and there was always someone smilingly waiting to escort you.

Now the hall looks like a dormitory, with beds standing one next to another, table with water and food. People weren’t smiling and Kate had to find her own way.

“It’s been difficult, but we are coping. It isn’t safe on streets anymore,” Laura says with a sigh and turns when someone loudly calls her name.

Kate makes her way through all those people, desperately tries to find a familiar face but there is no one. She always knew way to Magnus´ office by heart and now it’s the same, one thing that didn’t change and even when she meets too many strangers, one familiar figure is leaning on her desk.

Kate hadn’t seen Helen Magnus for three years. There had been video calls from the surface, email and coded communication but this was real. She feels her heart beating forcefully against her ribcage, it´s new feeling, something that she though she forgot. Helen Magnus is standing just few feet from her and it means everything to her.

She raises her head and catches a sight of her.

“Kate,” Magnus breathes out her name and there is shock and surprise and delight mixed on her face.

“I’m here, boss, for anything you need me,” she says and hopes her voice doesn’t tremble because her who body just might be.

.

“I’m glad you found your way to us safely. It might not look like that outside, but we are on the verge of a war. The worst nightmare is becoming real,” her voice is strong as always with a hint of sadness Kate remembers from those days following Ashley’s death. Those aren’t nice memories.

“What happened? What caused all of this? We only heard about random attacks, I didn’t have any idea that this is happening on global scale,” she asks and sits next to Magnus who leans over and pours them both a glass of wine.

They both pick them and Kate leans into the sofa, turning her body toward Magnus.

She seems to be lost in thought, turning the glass in her fingers. Kate can’t help but stare. Everything Helen Magnus does, pulls attention, every time she moves you can’t help but stare. Kate realized this all these years ago when she was so lost.

She smiles slightly but her eyes are sadder than Kate remembers.

“They were just random attacks, hate spreading like a virus. People died, so did abnormals and neither side didn’t want to take the blame. It was probably inevitable,” Magnus says and stands suddenly from the sofa.

“My father always said that abnormal are miracles of the nature, that there isn’t anything unnatural about them. They are what we one day could be. He never ever predicted that something like this could happen,” she turns her back on Kate, stares out of the window where the night claimed the city. It’s quiet outside, too quiet and Kate knows that people are locking themselves in their houses afraid of the things outside as are abnormal, afraid to go out, to enjoy their freedom.

“I’m sorry,” she says suddenly. She is sorry that after everything Magnus came through, after she saved the world numerous times and came through so much pain, it has come to this. To a point when she is the enemy.

Magnus turns toward her, her shoes make a sound that it’s too loud for the silence that fell upon them. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, you did a wonderful job in Hollow Earth and I am sorry that I never told you how much I appreciate your work,” she speaks with a pride in her voice and Kate feels her heart pounding loudly. She always wanted this, she longed for praise, for affection since she was a little girl.

When Kate had met Helen Magnus for the first time, she hated her. Hated that she had a place in life, that she had people she could put her trust in. Kate wanted the same and when she offered it to her, she couldn’t refuse. From that time hearing praise from the woman was her main goal.

Usually it tasted sweet, this time it didn’t.

“Thank you,” Kate whispers and steps forward because the need to hug her is overwhelming and Magnus accepts it. Their bodies meld together and Kate feels every bone in her body, feels the stress and pain and when she looks up, she sees all those 200 years in her eyes.

Kate remembers those feelings too, those beautiful confused feelings when she was jealous of Will and all the attention Magnus paid to him, she remembers being jealous of Tesla and the past they shared. She wanted to be noticed so much, wanted to be the one Magnus leans on when she needed and wanted so much more that she never ever dared to think of.

“You deserve it, Kate,” Magnus says and steps away from her, sits back, closer this time and the feeling in Kate’s body spreads like a wildfire.

.

“And what about Henry and Will, I didn’t see them around,” Kate asks a while later when she manages to calm down her heartbeat and Magnus hides her sadness behind a veil.

She just knows they are fine, she would tell her right away as Big Guy would, there just wasn’t time to ask till now.

Magnus leans on the backrest and smiles. “They are both well. Henry is with Erika and Henry Jr., he went for a visit but I arranged for him to stay there. He has a family now, he should be with them,” she tells her with a small smile on her face.

Kate nods. Henry wrote her about Erika, about their baby and she had her computer full of baby pictures.  Henry Jr. Was cute and healthy and Kate wished Hank the best, he surely deserved it.

“Yeah, he does and what about Will?” she asks and takes a sip from the wine. It’s expensive and exquisite, something she hadn’t tasted in ages.

“He is in Cairo. He went to help them set their new system. But the people started attacking our sanctuary and hadn’t stopped till now. It’s dangerous for him to leave it. But he is okay, they have a powerful telepath there who is warding off their attacks, and they are building an EM shield around it. He should be back in few days when the helicopter will be able to land on the roof,” she trails off, takes a sip too and Kate can see the hidden fear. She knows he will be okay but still, it’s the bond they all have.

“I sure hope so. Who would be meddling in me head then?” she says with small smirk because it could be fine again, everything could and Kate hopes she will be still at Magnus´ side then.

.

Her room didn’t change at all. Big Guy cleaned it once in a while and Kate sits down and touches the sheets. They are new and soft, she wasn’t used to such luxury in Hollow Earth. They had blankets that were easy to carry and pillows made of older clothes. It was home anyway.

She opens her backpack and takes out the picture of her with her father and puts it back one where it belonged before.

Kate is back, in the first place that felt like home after she lost her father. And she is here to save it, to make it a sanctuary for many abnormals to come.

.

The kitchen isn’t a kitchen anymore, and Kate feels like she stepped in to a high school dining room. People and abnormals are walking around with plates and cups, talking. It looks almost surreal to her and she waits for her to wake up.

But it´s real, the new reality. “You came late, there isn’t much left,” Big Guy grumbles as a greeting and Kate nods.

“I wasn’t hungry anyway, where is Magnus?” she asks and accepts the cup of cocoa he passes her. It seems he remembers and Kate smiles into the cup. It even tastes exactly like she remembers.

“Her office, she is always there. Last night was the first night she slept in her own bed. Without Will, there is no one to force her to get some sleep, seeing you did her good,” he says and Kate knows it’s his “welcome” too.

She thanks him and makes her way to see Magnus.

Kate thinks she will never get used to bumping into so many people in hallways, there isn’t a singly empty space in the Sanctuary and she briefly wonders what Magnus´ hideaway is. She built this place for abnormals, so they have a safe haven whenever they need but it was her sanctuary as well.

When Kate reaches her office, the door are ajar and a very familiar figure is standing next to Magnus.

“Declan?” she asks with a huge smile because he looks different, there are lines on his face that weren’t there before and she makes a mental note to ask and tease him about them later.

“Kate,” he screams with a delight and even though none of them is a touchy person, they end in each other’s arms like it´s completely normal for them.

“I wanted it to be surprise,” Magnus says from behind and moves back to her desk still with a small smile on her face.

Declan feels familiar to her, his body, his smell, the way his hands feel around her body. She missed him as she missed everything above the ground. The regret she felt over them disappeared completely too, Kate knew now that if there was a time for them it passed, it felt nice knowing.

“It’s great you’re back. My six will feel safer now,” Declan proclaims with a smirk and Kate punches him in his arm. When they turn back to Magnus, she has a business face already.

“What happened, boss?” Kate asks slipping her hands in her back pockets.

“As I already explained to Declan, we have a situation in the city. A group of abnormals is surrounded in an old warehouse by a violent mob, we need to get them out as soon as possible. You should go get ready,” her voice is cold and Kate felt a shiver go down her spine.

“We are leaving in fifteen minutes,” Magnus delivers her final line and stands leaving the office, Kate and Declan following behind her.

There really wasn’t anything to say as Kate understands the anger the older woman feels.

.

The atmosphere in the car is tense; no one wants to hurt any people in order to save abnormals. It’s not about choosing sides and Kate could clearly see all lines on Magnus´ face. It’s worrying when she considers it’s only started now, after all she came through. She wants to reach out and smoother them down.

But they are reaching their destination, Declan is moving toward the door and so is Magnus. Kate follows them. “Stay down, try not to be seen. We don’t want to hurt anyone,” Magnus says just before she opens the door into an empty valley. They can hear people shouting on the opposite street. There is a burning smell in the air and Kate realizes with horror that they are trying to force them out with smoke.

“Go,” Declan motions to her and she bends moving slowly behind the building to reach the warehouse from behind. The rest of the team is going to create a distraction, while she, Magnus and few men get those abnormals out.

Kate feels Magnus´ presence behind her and turns briefly to send her a reassuring smile. She nods to her in understanding and Kate feels stupid all of sudden but now isn’t the right time to sort out her thoughts because soon they hear the explosion and people running.

Someone is screaming “you won’t get us, fuckers” aloud when they are finally entering the warehouse. But things don’t go smoothly, someone sees them and Magnus orders her men to hold people from entering behind them.

Kate sees her flinch when the first shoot goes off.

“I will take the left side, you take the right,” she orders without looking at her. They hear people talking quietly and move to that direction. There is a small group of them, a large sasquatch is standing in the middle and few human-like abnormals standing close to them. A woman is kneeling on the floor.

They notice them when Magnus steps out of the shadows. “Don’t be afraid, we came to help you,” she says putting her gun on the floor. Only then does the woman look their way.

Kate’s gasp is louder. In the middle of it all stands a very alive-looking Ranna.

.

“Ranna?” Magnus seems similarly shocked as Kate herself feels.

“Helen Magnus, I see your position as the protector of all abnormals still stands. I am very pleased,” she says with all the grace they remember from all those years ago. Even with dirty clothes and ruffled hair, she still looks very much as a leader of a powerful place the Praxis once been.

“I think we could change pleasantries later, we need to get you safely out of here. Is here another exit?” Magnus asks but Kate could see she is fighting against all those questions, mostly one.

Ranna nods and motions toward the roof. “There is a ladder on the side, but when we tried to get down there, they started shooting but if you provide enough coverage, we just might be able to make it outside alive,” she is already moving toward it and Magnus follows her.

The rest of the group does as well and Kate goes to them to ask if anyone is hurt. But they are staring after Ranna, ignoring all her questions. She turns too, sees them talking quietly in the distance, their heads bend together and without really looking she knows which question is Ranna answering.

“She is magic,” a small girl parts from the group and comes closer to Kate. At first look she looks completely human but there is a light in her eyes, something Kate only saw in Hollow Earth. “She saved us, made the bad people stop,” she points toward Ranna and she immediately turns.

Telepathic connection is the first idea that comes into her mind and Kate finds Magnus with her eyes, she is watching her too.

“We should leave,” she says aloud and they move toward the ladder and Ranna leading them to safety.

The last thing Kate sees is Magnus screaming at her.

.

She feels someone touching her hand. It´s skin on skin, turning her wrist and touching her pulse point. It’s clinical and yet Kate feels something warm spreading out in her chest, it´s pleasant and perfect and she wants to keep it forever locked inside her. Maybe if she won’t open her eyes.

“Kate,” someone says her name and it is Magnus´ voice, smooth and silky and it sounds worried.

She opens her eyes which almost instantly makes the other woman smile. “Good, you worried me, you were asleep for too long,” Magnus says tiredly and stands from the chair sitting on the bed. Kate moves a little to make more space for her.

“You hit your head when you fell, I didn’t want to cause you more trauma so I hadn’t really have a chance to examine it,” she explain as she takes Kate’s head in her hands and starts to look more thoroughly for any wounds.

Kate hisses in pain when she touches a sore spot and Magnus immediately turns and takes the ointment for numbing pain. She put a little between her fingers and softly starts to rub around the wound.

“Let me know if I am hurting you,” she says and her voice is softer than Kate ever heard it before. It’s the voice she used while numbing Ashley’s pain, the voice she used when calling John back from the darkness, it makes Kate reach out and stop her hand.

“It’s not your fault,” it’s just a bit louder than a whisper, Kate’s throat is still dry and talking hurts but she knew what Magnus was doing, what she was thinking and feeling. Something she learned from many telepaths in Hollow Earth. “It isn’t only we can read thoughts, we can read people too,” Sheila said her one day while they sewed together blankets.

And Kate learned from, she learned a lot.

Magnus slips her fingers from Kate’s grip. She stands a little too quickly letting Kate know she hit the right nerve. “Nothing of this is,” she says more loudly, finding the strength to fight the pain.

She only sees Magnus´ back, it is stiff and Kate count everything that is bothering her at the moment, she starts to but Magnus suddenly spins around.

“I lied to you. Sanctuary in Cairo is almost destroyed, their communication isn’t working and I can’t do anything to help, I need resources on every single Sanctuary I built, they are forcing me to my knees, Kate,” the sadness and desperation in her voice makes Kate’s eyes water. Is it really that bad?

“I lied about Henry too, yes, he went to Erica but I don’t know if he arrived their safely. It could be only a problem with communication but Henry could be dead, Will could be dead, you could die today Kate only because I didn’t pay attention so desperately searing for my answer, that I ignored any danger. You are wrong, it is all my fault,” her voice is stone cold now but Kate sees the crack, sees something that could finally make Helen Magnus break as porcelain doll.

She was there to stop it.

Moving is still too difficult and painful, but Kate swings her feet, lands them on the floor, reaches for Magnus. She catches her hand and pulls. Magnus looks surprised but stays silent.

“Will and Henry are alive till someone says otherwise, they are safe, and so am I. Anyone could be fooled by Ranna’s projection, I was too and I spent last three years between abnormals that could drill in my brain. You can’t know everything but I do one for sure,” Kate stops, the last words get stuck in her throat because there are tears in other woman’s eyes and she never saw them before. She hadn’t that right after Ashley’s death, but something made her have it now.

She treasures it more than anything.

Their hands are still connected and Kate intertwines their fingers, pulls some more and Magnus sits next to her without any protest.

“I’m alive and I won’t go anywhere till you say me to,” she whispers and feels the warmth from their closeness, feels something deep inside her chest, something far more greater she ever felt with Garris.

Tears start to fall more freely and Kate reaches to wipe them away, they don’t suit Helen Magnus, she wasn’t born for crying.

“Thank you, Kate,” she speaks finally, her voice is strained but Kate feels the slightest change, it makes her lean forward, makes her grips her chin, makes her lips touch hers.

.

Kate didn’t know what she should expect. The end of the world, or that she will open her eyes and will be back in Hollow Earth with Garris lying next to her. She expected all of this but she never expected that Magnus´ lips are so soft while touching hers, that the feel of her body so close will make her forget all the pain.

She is ready not to move for the rest of her life but Magnus pulls away, makes their mouths hiss when they lost contact.

She reaches out, touches Kate’s cheek and smiles.

“Thank you, Kate,” she repeats and leaves the room without looking back at her.

.

Someone is very unsuccessfully trying not to wake her. She hears the careful opening of medical cabinet but the sound is still too loud and Kate never knew how to sleep like a log. She tries to open her eyes but lights are still too bright and her head pounds like before or maybe even more.

The sound stops for a while and is followed by a very familiar shuffling.

“I’m s-s-s-s-sorry for waking you, my hands-s-s-s-s aren’t the bes-s-s-s-s-t for quiet packing,” the man-lizard apologizes and Kate finally opens her eyes to send him a small smile. She knows, when something got broken in SHU it was always his doing. So why was he packing medical stuff?

“Fine, I was awake anyway. What’s going on?” she asks and takes a deep breath so she could push herself up. The nausea didn’t pass, it´s only getting worse. She stumbles forward on the bed and Steve moves swiftly, helps to stop her fall.

“Doctor Magnus-s-s-s s-s-s-said you shouldn’t get from bed till it won’t be abs-s-s-solutely necces-s-s-s-s-arry,” he says avoiding her question and goes back to the cabinet not bothering to be quite anymore.

Kate sees first aid bags opened on the floor and Steve carefully fills each one with drugs, injections and anything necessary for a move.

“We´re leaving Sanctuary,” she states calmly. He turns a little to the side and Kate could see something similar to a tear in his eye. He is losing his home, as she is and many more. She makes herself get up, she won’t let that happen.

.

Her resolve dies when she reaches the hall, Magnus is standing in the middle and looks more lost than Kate saw her. People are moving around her, packing and carrying their lives in cardboard boxes but for Magnus is the house, the memories; it’s not something you can pack.

She sees her looking around, ignoring all those people around her. Kate imagines she sees Ashley running toward her, still young and happy and when she closes her eyes the picture is so clear that Kate wants to reach for the little girl, say to her that she should never leave the safety of their house.

Magnus smiles at her daughter, kneels and catches her into her arms. The picture is so loving and perfect that Kate feels her eyes filling with tears.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers and in that moment Magnus looks straight at her. At first, its shock on her face, but her look is changed for disapproving one and she moves toward her wearing it.

“Kate, you should be resting,” she says and immediately reaches for her head, checking for any signs of fever. Her hand is pleasantly cold and Kate knows what it means but she can’t just go back and pretend that this all isn’t happening, that the Sanctuary isnt falling apart, that her home won’t be her home anymore and she already lost Chicago and probably Hollow Earth and this just can’t be happening.

“What’s going on, Magnus?” she asks with anger in her voice, her compassion quickly flew out the window. “You can’t just give up,” and continues without waiting for an answer and Magnus opens and closes her mouth again but then the same anger enters her eyes.

Her lips are in a thin line when she answers. “I am not.”

Kate doesn’t have another chance to ask more, to be angry more because there is a loud blow outside and she can see flames through the window, the EM shield is collapsing under them, it’s something new, something they never seen before and everyone around her starts to panic. Anyone except Magnus who looks outside with a cold look in her eyes.

.

“There is a system of tunnels under the Sanctuary, Magnus built them secretly after she bought these ruins. Only few people know about them, they aren’t even on the city map,” Declan explains to her as they make their way to SHU. The gateway into the tunnels is in one of the cells, the one they aren’t using often and Kate wonders why she never wondered about it.

“Where are they leading?” she asks and tries to keep up with him but he is already geared up and she sees a cold determination on his face too, one very  similar to Magnus´. They attack their home, they react. Kate knows she would react the same way and she wants too but she doesn’t want to run and give up.

But she would be only risking her life; Magnus has more responsibility that Kate ever would have.

“To the docs, a ship is waiting there for us. Magnus prepared a safe location for a case like this. I suppose she never expected to use it,” he finishes and stops. They watch Magnus insert the code and a large door open before them.

A long hallway is before them, someone turns on a switch and lights show them what is ahead.

It’s Magnus who turns to them then. She still has her lab coat on but they all can see the leathers, she is a fighter, a leader, she will do anything to bring them out safely.

“We are not running, this is our home and it forever will be. We need to be safe to prepare for what is ahead and then we will come back. And fight for our Sanctuary,” she speaks loud and her voice rings through the metal construction of the SHU and everyone hears it. They cheer and follow. Kate can’t do anything else but follow too.

.

She feels an anxiety she never felt before, remembers the danger lurking behind her, remembers how to stop it but it’s so unreal, abstract. Kate hopes it’s the concussion and not the feeling in her gut just before she saw someone lose his life.

It happened very often in those first few months. Not everyone wanted to go back to Hollow Earth and not everyone respected Garris as their leader. He had the biggest support but sometimes it wasn’t enough. The first few months she was mostly his bodyguard and endured many nasty notes about guarding his bed too. But he always calmed her, said that’s this all will lead to something.

There were attacks and she held his hand as the light almost slipped from them, but he came back and he was stronger and along him, Kate became stronger too.

Declan is jogging toward her, he went to talk to Magnus and is coming back to bring more instructions.

“Magnus doesn’t expect any trouble; she wants you to coordinate their boarding from behind. If you sense any danger, push this, we all have them. It will create a short-termed EM shield, it should stop any forms of shooting for a while and give us and chance to escape,” he says and gives her the device. It’s small and dark and fits in her hand perfectly.

Kate nods but there is something still nagging her. “Why are we running?” she asks because this all doesn’t make a sense to her. Magnus never runs from a fight and neither does she and she needs to know the reason.

Declan looks uncomfortable, like he was ordered not to say anything and Kate feels very unpleasantly in the moment. Doesn’t Magnus trust her anymore? Is it because of the kiss? Or the way she behaved toward her?

She can see Declan fighting with himself, he wants to say it but when he finally opens his mouth, his transmitter rattles loudly and a voice Kate doesn’t recognize ask for him to come at the top, they are exiting the tunnels.

“Sorry,” he apologizes and runs away and Kate sighs loudly.

.

The ship is there right on time and they create a long line, slowly letting people board. They have a place, a room for them to get through the long journey. The island is closes to Alaska, an old military base everyone forgot about and Magnus bought from a billionaire that didn’t want to play with it anymore.

“Common people, there is enough place for everyone,” she yells when they are pushing into each other.

She catches Magnus right next to the entrance, she is talking to the captain, motioning around. She looks worried, Kate can sense it from her stance, the way she can’t seem to stay on one place. Something is wrong, something is very wrong and only when she looks behind her she sees the angry mob approaching, they have guns and fire and Kate screams for the people to come closer to her.

She doesn’t need to see Declan or Magnus, she positions herself at the end of the line and pushes the button.

The EM shield immediately springs to life above their heads. But Kate can see the fear in their eyes and they keep pushing harder to the entrance, panic was rising and it isn’t a good thing. Someone can get hurt and Kate doesn’t want to stand and watch.

People outside are yelling, throwing rock at the field, it sparks but doesn’t let anything pass, they are safe, they are safe. Kate continues repeating it in her head, more and more but it will be too easy and when she looks around, she sees Magnus screaming at her.

She motions upwards. Fighters are circling above them and Kate realizes what Declan didn’t have a chance to say to her. Why Magnus is so angry and disappointed at once and why they are running. Her head hurts and she can’t think. She knows what EM shield could hold, one or two blows, depends on their strength.

Kate feels that something is going to happen, something that made her leave Garris, her new-made home, something important. She knows that her feelings for Magnus never really subsided and that could be the reason too.

The panic arises and she is pushed backwards, falls to the ground.

She hears Magnus´s voice, she is trapped in the mass of bodies. But Kate doesn’t hear, it’s all just a blur of words and pain and the strange feeling that made her pull Garris to the floor at the right time. And she just knows she has to do something.

A man stands at the end of the line, he is a folding man, she knows him and pushes the EM device into his hand. “Hold it and don’t push it no matter what anyone says to you,” she says and he nods without another word.

The fighters are preparing for an attack and Kate looks sideways if she sees Magnus. She only sees a bunch of dark hair, she runs before she has a chance to see her worried face. Kate runs from the safety of the shield, runs to the angry mob just few feet from the ship.

“Run, they are dropping a bomb,” she screams and motions toward the fighters above their heads. And if they didn’t want to believe her, they didn’t have a chance to voice it because they positioned themselves above the ship that was for a time being safely hidden.

Something was falling down in a rapid pace and Kate screams once more and people finally starts to listening, they run after her, with her and they all feel the hotness on their backs. It explodes with a sound she just knows she will never forget.

.

Someone is touching her face. Those fingers are familiar and warm and Kate feels peace and safety. It’s new and she just wants to close her eyes. “Sleep,” someone says and she obeys without another thought.

.

Thirty-two people and fourteen died that day. When the bombs finally destroyed the EM shield, most of abnormals were safely hidden back in the tunnels and there weren’t any more bombs. It was a failure and a crime against people of the Old City.

People stood up against the army, blamed them for all those horrible things, against creating hate between humans and abnormals. It was the very end of the war and the very beginning of the peace and in the middle of it all stood Helen Magnus, the protector of life.

 

 _Epilogue_

The sheets are the most expensive kind Kate ever saw, they make her skin tingle and cool down at the same time. She stretches and feels all her muscles protesting, she still isn’t completely healed but the pain is caused by more than just burns. Kate laughs quietly into the pillow and turns her head only to find the bed empty.

“Helen,” she calls out and sits up. It’s unusual for her to be alone. Since the explosion that badly burned her body, Magnus didn’t let her alone for long. Left all necessary negotiating to Will and carefully worked on her wounds, and their wounds. There was many to be healed, many to be told.

And when she laid in the bed, too weak and hurt to move, Magnus talked. Talked about how much scared she was at the possibility of losing her, that she distanced herself from her. “You opened my eyes, Kate. Showed me how my life could be and it could be taken away so easily,” she said to her holding her hand and leaned over and kissed her bruised cheek.

“I am sorry I wasn’t stronger,” she said to her later, when those events became clearer to Kate, when she remembered fire and pain and people dying around her. And Kate reached for her hand and she came closer and it was too similar to the last time it only could end the same way.

When everything was back on the better way and people started to trust abnormals just a little bit, when the hate was just an occasional phenomenon, decided Magnus to take Kate to Italy to help her recuperate.

Kate smiled to herself because she didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave it all up to Will and Henry, but they only grinned and waved at the car that transferred them to the airport and after last night she was very glad she let them persuade her.

Before it was only an occasional kiss or touch, there wasn’t really time to work on a relationship and Magnus was worried that her burns could get infected but she was feeling better now, everything was better now because as soon as they arrived she led her to the master bedroom to expensive sheets and sea view.

There Magnus let her hands wander softly along Kate’s body, kissed her lips, face and trailed wet kisses along her collarbone. Kate was forbidden from anything and when she felt she just couldn’t control, Magnus pushed her on the bed and made her moan and squirm. It was perfect, too perfect and even now she felt the overwhelming peace all around her.

“Good morning,” a soft voice says from the doorway and Kate turns moves her head to smile at her.

“Good morning and come to bed, I’m still not used to be alone,” she says and sounds childish even to herself but Magnus smiles and moves toward her untangling her robe and letting it fall to the floor. She is completely naked under it and Kate things she will never get used to this sight. So beautiful and perfect and hers.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this at least a little fulfills your idea. Also, I tried to include Ranna but writing her wasn't easy for me and the characterization would be just horrible.
> 
> I wanted to write there some smut but it didn't fit with the story much but if you want, feel free to ask, I still feel weird about posting this.
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS!


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